Students at Hazen Union School in Hardwick will be saving the lives of a few amphibians this semester as they learn about anatomy with a dissection simulator.

The software, Digital Frog 2.5, was the prize awarded to Hazen Union by the education arm of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals after science teacher Teal Church submitted the winning essay in a contest explaining why the school deserved the new tool. The students started using it this month.

According to PETA, the tool allows students to “cut” tissue by using a digital scalpel to explore the animal’s anatomy. And unlike dead frogs that have been dissected the old-fashioned way — with knives — PETA says the software teaches students about how frogs’ living bodies work and about their natural habitats.

“We’re delighted to help Ms. Church and Hazen Union take the lead in teaching biology with humane, modern methods,” said PETA’s senior vice president of laboratory investigations, Kathy Guillermo, in a news release.